Fast, Fake Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

The Brits refer to it colloquially as Spag Bol and the BBC has declared it the most popular dish in the UK, much to the chagrin of my expat friends with more refined palates. The French call it Spaghetti Bolognese. I'm told that the good people of Bologna, Italy don't even eat it, preferring to serve their Ragu Bolognese over lasagna noodles or bread. As a kid, it was always p'sketti or just sketti and I didn't even mind the version that came in a can--though I was too young to appreciate the stewed tomatoes in the homemade sauces my mother would make.

As an adult who has spent much of his life around spectacular cooks of one ilk or another, I find that spaghetti-oh's just don't cut it anymore. I've come to appreciate proper sauces built from love, patience and fresh ingredients, simmered for hours until they combine with a subtlety and strength of flavor that can't be beat.

Unfortunately, getting home from work at nine at night doesn't leave much time for simmering and nurturing a flavorful ragu and in this day and age, even the world-class cooks I know have day jobs, so it's not like I can bribe them into making it for me. 

However, here's a reasonable compromise. It doesn't have the depth or homogeneity of flavor of a real ragu, but the flavor is good, it can be made in about fifteen minutes, and goes great over a couple of slices of your favorite artisan bread. It won't embarrass a glass of Russo or a nice Shiraz served with it and you'll feel like you had a real dinner rather than a college dorm special.

Fast, Fake Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 lb Italian Sausage
1/2 diced Yellow Onion
1/2 diced Red Bell Pepper
1/2 diced Green Bell Pepper
2 ounces sliced Mushrooms
1 Jar Commercial Spaghetti Sauce (Newman's Own Sockarooni)
1 tablespoon Fresh or Marinated Garlic
Pinch, to taste: Oregano, Basil, Parsley

1. Turn out Italian sausage in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Break up with a spatula into small chunks as it browns for about 5 minutes. 
2. Add onion, peppers, mushrooms. 
3. Sauté mixture until sausage is fully cooked and onions and mushrooms are translucent. 
4. About two or three minutes before sausage is done, add garlic and spices and stir in. Sometimes we add a bit of pepper sauce as well for punch. (Our current favorite is Chalula Chili-Garlic pepper sauce.) 
5. When sausage is fully cooked, add full jar of commercial spaghetti sauce and stir, allowing to simmer for five minutes or as long as you have patience for. It won't be the same as a properly slow-simmered homebuilt sauce that has cooked overnight but what do you want for fifteen or twenty minutes' effort? If I can't find organic prepared spaghetti sauce to work with, I like to use Newman's Own because it doesn't contain any sweeteners or food industry chemicals. It's just tomato sauce and spices. 

For a quick dinner, serve over slices of homemade or organic artisanal bread topped with a little grated asiago, pecorino romano or cheddar cheese. If you have the time and must have your Spag Bol, serve over spaghetti noodles.